How to choose a 陪月 in the UK: checks, interview questions and agreeing the details

A good 陪月 can make the first month calm, nourishing and much less lonely. Because they'll be in your home, with your newborn, for weeks — sometimes living with you — it's worth choosing carefully and agreeing the details early. Many families start looking 3–4 months before the due date, as experienced carers get booked up.

Decide what you need first

Before you search, agree as a family:

• Live-in (住家) or daily (日間)? Live-in usually means help through the night as well; daily is typically around 8–10 hours.
• How long? Most families book around 28–30 days; some want 6–8 weeks, or a shorter block.
• Feeding plan. If you're breastfeeding, a carer can't do the feeds for you but can help with latch, bring the baby to you, burp and settle. If you're bottle-feeding or expressing, they can do some night feeds.
• Cooking. Traditional confinement dishes? Any dietary needs, such as halal, vegetarian or gestational diabetes?
• Language. Cantonese only, or also English or Mandarin for other family members?
• Budget. Day rates vary with experience, location and live-in versus daily.

The checks that matter

Check	Why it matters
DBS certificate	A criminal record check. For someone caring for a newborn, an enhanced check with the barred lists is the most thorough. Ask to see the original certificate and check the name and date — or, with their consent, check it on the DBS Update Service.
References	Speak to at least two families they've worked for recently — ideally by phone, not just a written note.
Right to work in the UK	If you employ someone directly, you must check before they start that they can legally work in the UK — using their online share code or their original documents.
Paediatric first aid	A current certificate (usually renewed every 3 years) means they've trained for choking, infant CPR and other emergencies.
Food hygiene	They'll be cooking for a recovering mother in your kitchen. A Level 2 Food Safety certificate is a good sign.
Insurance	Public liability insurance protects you both if something goes wrong in your home.

How a 陪月 gets an enhanced DBS check

As a private family, you can't request a DBS check on someone you employ directly. Instead, since January 2026, self-employed carers and personal employees can apply for an enhanced check themselves through a registered DBS Umbrella Body, if their role is eligible. A carer who is registered with Ofsted as a nanny will also hold an enhanced check. Either way, you look at their certificate rather than applying yourself.

On Postnatal Link, carers upload these documents and our team checks them before their profile goes live; verified checks are shown on each profile. It's still worth looking at the originals yourself and asking about anything that's unclear.

15 questions for the interview

A short video call is the best way to get a feel for someone. Postnatal Link lets you request an interview before you book.

Experience

1. How many families have you cared for, and for how long?
2. Have you looked after twins, premature babies or mothers recovering from a caesarean?
3. Have you worked with families in the UK before? How did you fit in with NHS advice?

Baby care

4. How do you settle a baby to sleep? (Listen for: on their back, in their own cot or Moses basket, nothing loose in the cot.)
5. How do you support breastfeeding? What do you do if feeding is painful?
6. When would you tell us to call the midwife, 111 or 999?

Mother's recovery

7. What would a typical day's menu look like? Can you adapt it to our needs?
8. How do you feel about showering and washing hair during the month?
9. How do you help a mother who seems low or anxious?

Practicalities

10. Which days and hours will you work? What happens at night?
11. What do you need from us — a room, meals, time off?
12. Do you do housework? What's included and what isn't?
13. Do you smoke? (Smoking around a baby increases the risk of sudden infant death.)
14. What happens if you're ill, or the baby comes early?
15. Can we speak to two families you've worked with recently?

Agree it in writing

Before the start date, put the key points in writing, even if it's an informal message both of you confirm:

• Start and end dates, and what happens if the baby arrives early or late.
• Working hours, days off and night duties.
• Duties: baby care, cooking, laundry, cleaning — and what's not included.
• The day rate, total, when and how you'll pay, and any deposit.
• Cancellation terms on both sides.
• House rules: visitors, phone use, smoking, photos of the baby.

Employed or self-employed?

Many 陪月 in the UK work as self-employed carers. But according to GOV.UK, you're usually the employer of someone working in your home if you hire them yourself and they're not self-employed or paid through an agency. Employers have responsibilities such as checking right to work, running payroll (or paying someone to), deducting tax and National Insurance, paying at least the National Minimum Wage and having employers' liability insurance. GOV.UK's guide to employing someone to work in your home explains this; if you're unsure which applies, check with HMRC or an adviser before the start date.

When it's not working

Most arrangements go well, but trust your instincts. If you're uneasy about how your baby is being handled, about safety, or about how you're being treated, raise it early and calmly. If something feels seriously wrong, it's fine to end the arrangement — your recovery and your baby's safety come first.